Vent and filling means for storage battery cells



Dec. 26, 1939. E. GRAF 2,185,102

VENT AND FILLING MEANS FOR STORAGE B. *\TTERY CELLS Filed Da e. 20, 1957g w Efrzeqzfra/ Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANDFILLING MEANS FOR STORAGE BATTERY CELLS Application December 20, 1937,Serial No. 180,682 (c1. lee-17s) 3 Claims.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide simple andreliable and comparatively inexpensive means for automatically closingthe ancillary vent when the plug is removed to permit the cell to befilled only to the required level and for opening the ancillary vent atother times.

, Another object of the invention is to house said means within thetubular neck structure that projects from the faces of the cell-cover atthe rim of the filling opening through the cover Y so that the partscomprising the means are not in the way and are not exposed to breakageand loss.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of the characterreferred to and of which the parts or elements are of such form thatthey can be readily and inexpensively molded or made of suitablematerialfsuch as hard rubber.

.0 Other objects of the invention will appear from the following.description at the end of which the invention will be claimed.

Generally stated, the invention consists in a neck extending inward fromthe cover and hav- 8' ing an inturned suppofl and having openings in itswall which should be closed when the cell is being filled and opened atall other times; closures for said openings comprising spaced segmentsconforming to the wall of the neck and 80 movably supported by saidsupport; a resilient member arranged inside said segments and adapted tobias them into position for closing said openings and said sectionsprovided with stops arranged in the openings and with arms ll extendingupwardly into range of the vent plug by which they are positioned touncover the openings but permitting the resilient member to positionthemto close the openings when the vent plug is removed.

40 The invention also comprises the improvements to be presentlydescribed and finally claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanyingdrawing forming part hereof and in which:

46 Figure 1 is a section taken crosswise of the cell cover and showingfilling means embodying fea tures of the invention with the filling plugin position and with the ancillary vents open.

Figure 2 is a. similar view showing the position 60 of the parts whenthe plug is removed and the ancillary vents are closed.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of-Figure 2 lookingupward, and

Figure 4 is a side view of one of the closure ll members.

' the plug ll.

Referring to the drawing:

l indicates an internally threaded tubular neck extending outward fromthe rim of the filling opening 2 of the cover'3 of the cell. 4indicatesa tubular neck having an inturned flange'S and 5 extending inward fromthe rim of the filling opening 2. The inwardly extending neck 4 isprovided through its curved wall with openings 6 constituting anancillary vent which should be closed when the cell is being filled andopened 10 at other times. I are closures for the openings 0" and theycomprise spaced tubular segments conforming to the curved faceof theinner wall of the inwardly extending neck and they are movably supportedby the flange 5. 8 is a tubular 16 cylinder arranged inside the segments1 and it is made of resilient material, as soft rubber, adapted to biasthe segments into position for closing the openings or ports 6. Thesegments 1 are also provided with arms 9 extending into the externalneck I and into range of a skirt l0 depending from the filling plug ll.Beveled surfaces are provided between the surface of the skirt Hi andthe arms 9 so that the segments are positioned to uncover the openingswhen the plug II is in the outwardly extending neck I.

12 are stops projecting from the segments 1 and they are arranged in theopenings 6 so that they prevent rotation of the parts. Of course thestops l2 are smaller than the openings 6 in which 80 they are arranged.

It will be noted that the described means, namely the arm 9 and ring orhollow cylinder 8, and the flange 5 are disposed inside of the neck 4and are, therefore, housed in it and protected 85 by it from breakageand loss.

It may be remarked that the stops l2 also serve to prevent accidentaldetachment of the segments I and of the ring 8. The operation of thedevice may bedescribed as follows: Referring to Figure 1 [the auxiliaryports or vents 6 are uncovered by the segments 1 which are held inposition to uncover them by the skirt ID on In this position there isafforded a passage for the escape of gas from the gas space A of thecell. This passage is by way of the openings 6, the space between thesurfaces of the segments and the neck 4 and the space l2 between thesegments 1 and thence through the hollow plug II and out by'the apertureI3. When the cell is to be filled the plug II is removed and the partsoccupy the position shown in Figure 2. In this position the ancillaryvents or ports 6 are closed because they are covered by the curved facesof the segments 1 so that when is the cell is being filled the liquidrises to a level at which it is visible from the outside of the cell atwhich point the filling is stopped, but the liquid cannot rise into thegas space A since the normal exit for the gas through the openings 6 isclosed.

1. Vent and filling means for storage battery cells comprising incombination, a vent plug, an internally threaded tubular neck extendinginwardly through the cover of the cell to the normal level of theelectrolyte and having an inturned support, said inwardly extending neckhaving through its curved wall openings communicating with the interiorof said cell at'a point beneath the cover and outside said neck andcommunicating with the exterior of said cell and which should'be closedwhen the cell is being filled and open at other times, closures for saidopenings comprising spaced tubular segments conforming to the curvedface of the inner wall of the inwardly extending neck, and movablysupported by said support, and a resilient member arranged inside saidsegments and adapted to bias them into position for closing saidopenings, said segments provided with arms extending into the range ofthe vent plug of the cell, there being a beveled surface providedbetween the plug and the arms whereby the segmcnts are positioned touncover the openings when the plug is in closing position in the neck.

2. Vent and filling means for storage battery cells substantially asdescribed in claim 1 and in which the segments are provided with stopsarranged in but smaller than the openings to oppose rotation of thesegments.

3. Vent and filling means for a storage battery cell having a cover andcontaining electrolyte comprising, walls defining a tubular ductextending through the cover to the normal electrolyte leve1,' "a'v'entopening through said walls below the under surface of the cover, a rigidvalve member supported within the duct and confronting the vent openingand adapted to rock on its support to open and close the vent opening, aresilient member stressing the valve member to vent-closing position,and a vent plug adapted when inserted in the duct to rock the valvemember to vent-opening position.

ERNEST GRAF. 25

